Juneyao's Sydney-Shanghai route to start two days before Melbourne

Sydney Airport will be Shanghai-based Juneyao Air’s first Australian destination, beating Melbourne by just two days. The Chinese carrier will operate four weekly 787-9 flights starting 17 December, ahead of Melbourne on 19 December. It will be the ninth concurrent mainland Chinese carrier to fly into Sydney, and will add 53,000 weekly seats, pushing mainland China capacity to 101% of pre-COVID levels. The services to Shanghai, which will help fill a gap left behind by Qantas axing its Sydney-Shanghai route earlier this year, have the potential to become daily flights over peak months in 2025. According to Scott Charlton, CEO of Sydney Airport, Sydney captured 49% of incoming mainland China passengers in the 12 months to June 2024. “We are proud to welcome Juneyao Air to Sydney Airport, the home of Chinese airlines in Australia. The introduction of Juneyao’s services in December provides passengers from mainland China with unprecedented choice and convenience when traveling to Sydney,” he said. “This expansion is a strong vote of confidence in Sydney as the premier gateway to Australia and underscores the enduring appeal of New South Wales to Chinese travellers. We’re especially pleased to have worked in partnership with Destination NSW and the NSW Government to deliver this service.”<br/>